How To Prevent Razor Burn

Shaving is perhaps one of the best methods for unwanted body hair removal. A simple razor can work wonders with getting rid of nasty fuzz, leaving your skin feeling smooth and soft.

How To Prevent Razor Burn

Shaving is perhaps one of the best methods for unwanted body hair removal. A simple razor can work wonders with getting rid of nasty fuzz, leaving your skin feeling smooth and soft. While shaving is, for the most part, one of the least risky methods for hair removal, it can bring with it a few issues if you’re not careful enough. Some of these issues could be nicks, cuts, and, more commonly, razor burn.

Razor burn isn’t too grave an aftermath of shaving, but it is quite irritating and completely avoidable. After all, you don’t want your comfortable shaving experience to be ruined by razor burn. So, let’s take a look at what razor burn is and what you can do to avoid it.

What is razor burn?

So, you’ve just shaved and your skin feels like it’s got a new lease on life. Free from the hassles of furry fuzz, your skin is now smooth, silky, and soft, and you can’t help but want to prance around in your sleeveless tops and miniskirts.

But, oh wait! The feeling of ecstasy last for an hour or two before you begin to feel an itchy sensation creeping its way up your legs and down your arms. And let’s face it – it’s irritating.

This is razor burn.

While razor burn affects men for the most part, women aren’t entirely immune to it and often experience this irritation after a shave – especially when it comes to the more sensitive parts of the body like the underarms and bikini line.

If you’re prone to getting razor burns after a shave, thus leading you to believe that shaving is not your cup of tea, worry not. Here’s a look at how you can prevent razor burns and revel in the silky, smooth feeling of a shave, without having to worry about the aftermath.

How can you prevent razor bumps and burn?

We could not stress more on the importance of exfoliation

Believe it or not, exfoliation is an intrinsic part of the shaving process (and for waxing and epilation, too!). We are all aware that exfoliation prior to a shave helps prevent the headache of ingrown hair, but guess what – it also prevents razor burn! Double whammy!

Warm water on the other hand weaves its magic by opening up the pores and softening the hair, so that the razor blade can glide effortlessly over the skin. This is also why it is best to shave in the shower.

Soak your skin in some warm water (as warm as is tolerable) for about 2 to 5 minutes and begin your shave only after that.

Not many women understand the importance of a fresh blade. If you want a close and efficient shave, keep your blades sharp and new. Dull blades with faded indicator strips fail to provide moisture, thus making the shave cumbersome and uncomfortable. A new blade will also glide smoothly over your skin, so you won’t feel the need to push down too hard against the skin.

And no pressure and force equals decreased chances of razor burns. Ditch the disposable razors and crude men’s razors and opt instead for a razor like Gillette Venus, the first and best razor for women.It is designed to suit a woman’s contours, has three blades individually mounted on an oval head, an Aloe Vera- and Vitamin E- infused indicator strip, a rubber grip handle, and comes with replaceable cartridges – could we possibly ask for anything more?!

Venus works beautifully on the curvatures of the female form and isn’t rough against the skin. Disposable razors need to be replaced after every 2 (max. 3) uses, so Venus, with its replaceable cartridges trumps disposables in the economically-friendly department, too. However, it is advisable that you change the cartridge after every 3 or 4 uses, depending on how faded the indicator strip is.

Tip: If you want to prolong the life of your blade, dip the blade in alcohol and place the razor with the blade edges facing upward. Further, avoid storing your razor in the bathroom since the heat and steam can cause the blades to rust, thus rendering them ineffective faster.

Shave in the direction of hair growth

The general rule of thumb when shaving dictates that one must shave in the direction of hair growth – and this holds true for the more sensitive areas of your body like your face, underarms, and bikini line.When it comes to your legs, though, you can shave against the grain because the skin is tougher.

That said, if you want to be safe and not experiment too much, the best way to totally avoid the nuisance of razor burn is to shave with the grain – be it your underarms, pubic area, hands, or legs. It’s like they say – better safe than sorry!

Top it all off with a cold water rinse

Once you’re done shaving, go ahead and rinse your skin in cold water. Unlike warm water which opens the pores, cold water helps in rapidly closing the pores. Hence, the rule is usually – warm water pre shave and cold water post shave.

What other remedies can you try?

Invest in a good shaving gel – the Gillette Satin Care shaving gel is a good go-to, especially if you’re using it in conjunction with the Gillette Venus ladies’ razor. Tip: Avoid using soap to cut corners since soap contains a lot of foam, i.e. more air, less moisture. Shaving cream is also inadvisable because it can tend to clog the pores. So, to sum it up – shaving gel all the way.

Use an after shave balm or a moisturiser containing cooling agents since those will help close your pores and prevent skin irritation. Steer clear of balms and moisturisers that contain alcohol because you can bet that those will sting when applied on freshly shaved skin.

Apply a gel rich in Aloe Vera and leave it on the shaved area for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off with cool water. Because of its soothing properties, razor burns are less likely to appear.

Rub black tea bags on the shaved area for 2 to 3 minutes – it does wonders in eliminating nasty razor burns.

Bottom line

Now that you know what exactly razor burn is and what steps can be taken to prevent and tackle it, shaving should be a piece of cake.So, keep these pointers in mind to enjoy the feel of silky smooth skin without having nagging worries of razor burn at the back of your mind!